Am I nieve? Am I the only one?

I've noticed a lot of "worried" posts, some regarding JMS's comments. Like the show being more action orientated, or the cast being too young (!).

Maybe I shouldn't take things at face value, but I'm at a stage where whatever JMS and Douglas Netter present, I'm not questioning it. If they were new executive producers, or JMS is a new creator, maybe I could ask questions. But it's been shown time and again that Babylon 5 takes no easy routes out. It doesn't go for ratings, like adding skin-tight catsuits and wrestlers to the mix. It doesn't take easy routes out.

So I kind of think... shouldn't we just have faith in the Great Maker(s)?

Am I being blind, or just realistic?


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"Love isn't brains, children, it's blood. Blood screaming inside you to work its will. I may be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it." -- Spike, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

"Evil's still afoot. And I'm almost out of that nancy-boy hair-gel I like so much. Quickly, to the Angel-mobile, away." -- Spike, as Angel, in Angel

Nope, you're not the only naive one here, Antony.

I've expressed my opinions in some of those "worried"-threads already but just to repeat some of them here:

I don't think the cast is *too young*. They're all in their - rough estimate - mid-20s to mid-30s. That sounds adult enough for me (considering I'm in the same age range...). The younger regular cast actors in B5 were mid-30s as well. There's nothing that says that a younger character cannot be good, interesting and evolving, or that an under-40 actor can't be a good actor.

As for the action... nope, I'm not worried. Action can be combined with a solid story and good characters, and I have enough faith in JMS (and Doug Netter) to have reason to believe that they can pull it off.

I'm not "ultra-enthusiastic" - I always retain a certain amount of scepticism because I prefer to be pleasantly surprised rather than disappointed - but I don't see anything major to worry about.

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"It's animal magnetism. What can I say?"
- G'Kar, A Tragedy of Telepaths

I'm a natural cynic.

I'm not worried that they're too young - gosh, if the cast is too young, then I must be a veritable toddler! At the same time, I'm very much a lover of drama and political intrigue, and have never loved action. I'll give it a chance, though *winks*

I am worried about the "Enterprise factor."

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Channe, Freelance Writer Extraordinaire and The Next JMS
--
B5 Synchroninity of the Day: I just found out that the new dorm I'm living in next year has been named Breen Hall.

I'm not worried about the age. I don't question JMS judgement. He's more experienced than I am in those things

re
Halldor

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Gideon: I thought you said you don't hold a grudge?
Galen: I don't, I have no surviving enemies, at all.

All of my favorite artists and creators have made mistakes. They are not gods, they are human.

Kubrick has some questionable moments in his films.
Coltrane made a few albums that I can't listen to.
Rembrandt has used too much Brown sometimes.

This doesn't take away from the fantastic work they've done.

So, sure it's possible for JMS to royally screw up. He has made plenty of mistakes on B5 and Crusade. However, it's a bit silly to assume that he will. As long as the direction of the show is honest, then there will be more good than bad.

I'm guessing that the people who are complaining about a never seen non-existant series are upset because they want another Babylon 5. If you expect another B5, then you will be dissappointed.

It's kind of funny that people already have opinions about a show that doesn't even exist.


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"You do not make history. You can only hope to survive it."

I don't have a problem with the crew being young. In real life, most of the people who serve in the army, navy or airforce, are often very young indeed - even younger if there's a war.
I remember that old German miniseries, Das Boot - I have seen Rangers been described as Das Boot in Space.
The crew were very young - many of them teeangers. The Captain of the U-boat - I can't remember the name - {although I recall that the actor was Jurgeon Prochnow] was known as The Old Man!. The captain had reached the grand old age of 29. I don't know the ages of those who served on the Allied submarines, but I imagine that they would have been in a similar age range.
Also, a group like the Rangers would attract people who are idealistic and young -the two often go together.
As Delenn said in Moments of Transition, it is the young who are sent to die in wars. And it's true.

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I remember a comment from the captain in Das Boot to the journalist that he shouldn't spend is films until after some weeks, then the crew would have grown beards(facial hair, just shoot me for my spelling) and the enemy wouldn't notice how young they really were.

re
Halldor

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Gideon: I thought you said you don't hold a grudge?
Galen: I don't, I have no surviving enemies, at all.

I'm not worried--I think JMS will have something good for us to see. I can't wait to see Rangers!

Tammy

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"We're in here! Can anyone hear us?"
"I hear you." [giggle, laugh]
"In here!"
"We are here." [giggle, laugh]
-- Londo and G'Kar in Babylon 5:"Convictions"

Tammy's Station
http://community.webtv.net/gkarfan/TammysStation

No, you're not naive at all, and these "Chicken Little" posts are really getting tiresome. (Especically the ones complaining that there are "no ads" in September to promote a movie that won't air until January. Give me a break! If this is the sort of thing you have time to worry about then all I can say is, "I wish I had your life.")

Regards,

Joe

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Joseph DeMartino
Sigh Corps
Pat Tallman Division
joseph-demartino@att.net

If you are naive for having a little faith and not worrying about problems that do not technically exist yet or may never materialize, I am in the same boat.

We have not seen anything upon which to base these "fears". I have seen both B5 and Crusade and liked both based upon their own merits. JMS and Doug Netter gave us two inherently different shows. In my opinion, Crusade had/has the potential to be as good as B5.

The first time I watched Crusade, I was disappointed. I loved Max, but that was about it. It was not until Sci-Fi ran all thirteen episodes that I realized Crusade's potential. I had limited Crusade because, I wanted it to be B5. It was not. I believe that when Rangers recieves a go (**the power of positive thinking**), it will be unique in it's own way.

Perhaps at heart I am a Pollyanna, but there are worse things I could be.

Frizzell

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"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in a confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift

"Good in theory...
Lousy in practice...
It implies that I am expendable. I am many things. I am bright, personable, charismatic and not a bad dancer but expendable? No."

"What you regard as inconsequential dental forms are in fact more, much more. They are in fact symbols, symbols of America.
Although the world will little note nor long remember what we do today in these hallowed halls. I tell you this with no degree of uncertainty. That forms filed in triplicate are the very foundation of democracy.
Why do we file Robert?
Why?
One word. Freedom..."

"I love the smell of toner in the morning."

I'm not worried. If JMS makes it then I will watch it happily.

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No one here is exactly what he appears.
Babylon 5
G'Kar - Andreas Katsulas

I've got to say I'm alternately amused and annoyed by the second-guessing. How can anyone claim any semblance of authority when they grouse about something that hasn't even happened yet?

Honestly I don't see why people are insisting on the worst-case scenario. Sure, jms has screwed up plenty of times. But with an entire series? I don't think so.

Besides this isn't alien territory to him. Well, it is, but...y'know.

As for this "Enterprise factor," I'm not even sure what that's supposed to mean. I don't see how ST:E can be a factor in determining the success or failure of B5LR. Its potential to take audience shares away? Even when modern Trek was in full force, B5 held its own. I don't see what the problem is.

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Joe Medina (neargrai@aol.com)

"...that which are, we are"

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR> known as The Old Man!. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

For what it's worth, sailors on all sorts of ships, military and civilian, have been using that phrase to refer to the Captain for many years.

It was not Unique to "Das Boot".


As far as The Enterprise factor, that has to refer more to the deliberate, subsidized sniping campaign aimed at Rangers in TV magazines and other media that paramolehill is sure to engage in while trying to claim sole dominion over televised SF.

It hasn't worked yet and I don't expect it to work this time.




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Yes, I like cats too.
Shall we exchange Recipes?

I'm not worried.

1. I find it insulting to question an actor's talant based on their age, when you have nothing else to base it on, and obviously, they were good enough for JMS to cast.

2. I find it amusing that people expect to see ads plastered all over the TV in September.

3. I find it amazing that people have time to sit around and come up with these things.

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I'm lobbying for someplace more comfortable for our next gathering place. A nice resort with a beach. A bunch of pale skinned technomages in black robes would fit right in.

Derian-

I don't have time. I make time.

Joking. No, really, it's interesting to think up these things when one is concentrated entirely on incredibly hard conceptual stuff all day.

The real concerns are those not:

a) concerned over age. That's been done in this forum ten million times.
b) concerned with the talent of JMS to pull off a good story. That's been proven.
c) concerned with the fact that there are no ads plastered around the world. It's September.

I'm worried about the marketing deal with Rangers/Enterprise, but not that worried (as someone said, yeah, it'll be a helluva dissappointment, but I'm not making money off of this like Dylan, Warren, JMS and the guy who lays down the gaffer's tape).

Yeah, we should be worried about this. If the two campaigns are too similar, it is GOING TO BE DISASTROUS for Rangers. No word-of-mouth, no viewing parties, no e-mail campaigns are going to change that. If they did, they'd be the primary way a piece of art is marketed.

Gotta go catch a ride to dinner. Later folks!

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Channe, Freelance Writer Extraordinaire and The Next JMS
--
B5 Synchroninity of the Day: I just found out that the new dorm I'm living in next year has been named Breen Hall.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by AntonyF:
I've noticed a lot of "worried" posts, some regarding JMS's comments. So I kind of think... shouldn't we just have faith in the Great Maker(s)?

Am I being blind, or just realistic?

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


When people want something as much as we all want Rangers, the mind can spin into overtime; it overthinks all the possible reasons things won't work out. Do I think Rangers will be a great show? Ya,I do. Do I worry that there could be problems that get in the way of it repeating the great success of B5? Yep, I do. I'd rather be prepared for the worst than be terribly disappointed by small problems. Talking about the worries that might come along helps to keep things in perspective.

Never forget Antony many people are new to the idea of thinking critically about TV shows. They are feeling there way thru the issues that they wonder about and asking questions so they can learn. they may also be

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The avalance has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote.

Worried? With a track record of B5 and Crusade?

No.

I'll watch Rangers in January. If I like it, great. If not, I'll go off in a corner and sulk. (If I like it and Sci-Fi doesn't green light it as a series, I'll wail and gnash my teeth.)

Until then, I eagerly anticipate.

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"We are all Kosh."

The B5LR actors look to be about 5 years younger than the Babylon 5 actors at the time of 'The Gathering'. So JMS is not cradle snatching.

It is always dangerous to second-guess the Great Maker but I suspect that the talk about younger actors is a smoke screen. The studio suits may be looking to cast a series with a similar age range to say 'Sabrina the TEENAGE Witch'.

By talking about having younger actors the producers will avoid a lot of hassle from the suits. Since B5LR is filmed in Canada the Californian suits will not check until they see the film on tv. After the film has been shown, the actors are the characters. JMS is good at this sort of politics.


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Andrew Swallow

Antony, if it were not for this Board we wouldn't be talking about it at all.

It's only because we're all so keen to see the finished product that we keep thinking up all these ridiculous questions.

When a new series airs an enormous amount of the success depends on the people behind the scenes like JMS and Doug Netter. We go on their proven record and we expect the same high quality. It is not naive.

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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR> Since B5LR is filmed in Canada the Californian suits will not check until they see the film on tv. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'd bet the suits in California have Already seen it. They like to see these things as early as possible so they can start thinking about ways to interfere as early as possible.



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Yes, I like cats too.
Shall we exchange Recipes?